The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1887-12-08
INTERSTATE COMMERCE.

Operation of the Quite Satisfactory.
on the yyhole-AIl the fhasas of fhe onss.
t,,r p..... no., -
v.u-..-.-n
% 80 @.-1ne LEV. annual re-
..sstSSla.e co"'ne1oe nH
~ Ds1 ,alu Oe.o1e ene secre1aIv VI Ine ~
S-Ho- N ~
the commissioners The commission de-
votes n dozen nages to q h;storic sketch nj
.ho .,,..--,. ass.n.,,,, f.o;,,.,o, co.,
.ae counclys transportation iacAAtaes' i.om
the pack horse n canoe of the early days
to the mammoth institutions Of the present.
trecino hook to thar origin all those oriev.
'A"olnS ""Sn w onoA o.tsAn ~. 'nooo kA1o'-
ances and abuses which finally led to the
passage of the Interstate act Under the
heading sThe carrisrs subiec. tn its rtha
neau.'s - e"i.' eooJeo' AS tSne
actsI jurisdiction, the commission y
Some of the railroad practices which the act
undertakes to bring to an end have been COM
mon among carriers by water also, and II wrong
case as we'll Il does not. however. intend 10 in.
innate an opinion that these things are common.
Inc commission Is OF me opinion that the ex-
themselves is Within the act. Wbether the
express companies which are Independents
OF the railroads are within the contemplation
OF the act is more doubtful The sleeping car
companies. live stock car companies and oil COM
panies which transport in tank cars. are as much
subject si1Jecdt to + the temptation as to discriminate as the
AAN - 1900
fer such action as it may choose to take in the
premises.
The long and short haul clause ia exhaust
ive1v discrssod tooo+bar ,v,,h tho r.o,,n,.e
~ o''oeeou' .oso.HoA WILL VIC 'easouso
tne COMMISSION Ior temporarily SuSpendlnT
the provision in certain sections. and they
cav In r,r..
p".
Inc considerations which were influential In
etermining when these temporary orders should
De granted were not more the relief OF the car
riers from danger OK loss than tue prevention Of
threatened disturbance OF business interests In
certain LOCALITIES. which by its reflex action
seemed napIe 70 emoarrass seriously. the entire
country. IN large sectlons OF the country
obedience to the general rule OF the fourth
section Is without important exception:
Whlle less has b.cn done In the direction Of
bringing the freight tariffs into conformity with
the general rule prescribed by the fourth section
5 ina SON some persons expected, there has 1everthe-
ana there Is every reason to believe that Lhfs
will continue.
Liz cona'nissioh, aiUer quouhg mat partoI
the twelfth section. which empowers 1t to
sinquire into the business of all common
carriers" says:
This is a very important provision. The COM
mission VIII not hesitate to AXE action under it
fanca "a tho,abt ~ aS,a. aUd sat u pubic ! i'npor-
to be brought to its attention on compiaint Of a.
private prosecutor. There is every reason
most oe serio,s no auiis b tna' some OF INC
in the railway service before the passage Of
the act. and were in the legislative mind as
reas sed ~ . exi u.s. enact nf ,hss nave now almost
special and secret rebates. Complaints Of nm
just discrimination and the giving of undue and
%.area s preferences oy me open rates are
existing tariffs there are many rates Which. ns
compared with others made bv the same carriers,
seem to be unfair and oppressive. But even
as regards this species Of injustice the good
effects of the Jaw are manifest. Being now COM
PEELED to justify their rates when called
on. makes managers more cautious about doing
injustice. In a majority of cases either the
complainant has been found to be mistaken III
his facts, or If wrcneed, it has been through
carelessness or mismanagement, which the car
r1er readily corrected; or II the facts presented
a case OF difference OF opinion, the parties, when
brought tnto communication succeeded in find
ing some basis for settlement without further
interruption. This method Of diseOs1nR Of COM
plants is believed by tho commission TO be more
useful than any other, because its tendency is
between the carrier and those who must be the
customer.
The report comments at some length on
tho nl.n odonted hy tho ,o,, ,,iss;,, 20 ~
~ n"'-
ing tne hearings oe1ore u stripped OF all I'M
~ "~sasy- 800 ~ v."' p."i "e oouio
." " 'ne aio VI law
:" "1sos Il uesHao"-
tty OIL u UNIFORM ITelgn6 c~lasslncatlon
throughout the country. but doubts The
ability tn. reach the matter bv laoisl.tion
IT, a. -. o1"o,'
WINE wl'nou' IL tnere IL graoual approach
to uniformity effected by the railroads
- 800. S'ahaAs
Vne soreiuineh' " MaAe d UNIFORM trelgnt
classification would have to go at 1t in much
the same wav. The commission savs.
rh..oos,.. s.,,,h.. 80 49,
Inc pooiing u tseignIs anu o. rallroau earn
i inssr nH o on the aubiees' c ann an to an eo od
when Ia the a. act t., TOOK saxo erect; But as pooling was
H ~ n u , . ~ ses ssna PURPOSES nuo . nIa N view In
d 9 ardans t Ia ro az. a SsoG aiann me isaGing asso-
con.anuGu ~ e1ds1encs iof oenes ooJscSs, among
~ Pr ouJeuss 1 w hhaannnlaux y, aeguiar aaees Ior
mnnieatiapn and exchanre Of tsaf aa,iv wish;n COM the
reaniat;ops q, adai ny 'ne,i wohanpsc noho
law are almost if not al; oseth sep1 ind Isue es sRe
61as on carriers h pr the dsaiso shipments from De.
- 49,. nn ~ ono ;a ~ sn"nSans Utne
IT, has NOT "'t nndertakeu te ,r Uads; eec,,
d secihs re,e Inc ,c continuous I'm sona snip men or to pre-
eaIso FOR rd tbst i Snr rns io"o'nS ana movement OF
REASONABLE CHARGES.
In its chapter upon Reasonable charresn
tho commissior s.1s.
Ine ooAEnissiou says
OF the duties deyolved upon the commission
by the act to regulate commerce, none is more
perplexing and difficult than that of passing
upon complaints made OF rates as being unrea-
sonable. Ihe question of the rcasonableness Of
rates involves many considerations and Is so ef- !
fected by circumstances and conditions which
may at first blush seem foreign that
it is quite impossible to deal with it on purely
mathematical principles, or on any principles
whatever, without a consciousness that no con: |
clusion which may DO reached can by demons
~stration be shown to be abs lutely correct. The
public interest is best served when the rates are
SO apportioned as to encourage the largest |
practicable change of products between |
different sections of our country and